Speech #1040267247

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this conference report gives Congress the best opportunity in decades to address the illegal immigration crisis. Every 3 years. enough illegal aliens enter the country. permanently to populate a city the size of Boston or Dallas or San Francisco. Classrooms bulge. welfare jumps. the crime rate soars. Innocent victims pay the price. and lawabiding taxpayers foot the bill. This bill secures Americas borders. penalizes alien smugglers. expedites the removal of criminal and illegal aliens. prevents illegal aliens from taking American jobs. and ends noncitizens abuse of the welfare system. By doubling the number of Border Patrol agents and securing our borders. we will protect our communities from the burdens imposed by illegal immigration: crime. drug trafficking. and increased demands on local police and social services. The benefits of securing our borders will be felt not only in border States but throughout the entire Nation. If we cannot control who enters our country. such as illegal aliens. we cannot control what enters our country. such as illegal drugs. To control who enters. this bill increases criminal penalties for alien smuggling and document fraud. The Nation cannot allow alien smuggling to continue. especially since many alien smugglers are also kingpins in the illegal drug trade. Illegal aliens should be removed from the United States immediately and effectively. Illegal aliens take jobs. public benefits. and engage in criminal activity. In fact. onequarter of all Federal prisoners are illegal aliens. This bill will lower the crime rate. lower the cost of imprisoning illegal aliens. and make our communities safer places to live. This legislation also relieves employers of a high level of uncertainty they face by streamlining the hiring process. It makes the job application process easier for our citizens and legal residents by establishing voluntary employment quickcheck pilot programs in 5 States. The quickcheck system will give employers the certainty and stability of a legal work force. Since the beginning of this century. immigrants have been admitted to the United States on a promise that they will not use public benefits. Yet every year the number of noncitizens applying for certain welfare programs increases an astonishing 50 percent. America should continue to welcome those who want to work and produce and contribute. but we should discourage those who come to live off the taxpayer. America should keep out the welcome mat but not become a doormat. This legislation also ensures that those who sponsor immigrants will have sufficient means to support them. Just as we require deadbeat dads to provide for the children they bring into the world. we should require deadbeat sponsors to provide for the immigrants they bring into the country. By requiring sponsors to demonstrate the means to fulfill their financial obligations. we make sure that taxpayers are not stuck with the bill. now S26 billion a year in benefits to noncitizens. The provisions in this conference report are not new. These are the same reforms that passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 333 to 87. and in the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 97 to 3.